Brake-handle.



No. 877,097. PATENTED JAN. 21, 1908.

I F. w. LEGHNER.

BRAKE HANDLE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-16, 1907.

WITNESSES v i A m VENTOH l I fiedanafi'mec/zrzer I [J2 27 m/7&0

ATTORNEYS 1n: mmms PETERS ca, wAsnma-rciu. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFCE.

BRAKE-HANDLE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1908.

Application med January 16.1907. Serial No. 352.562-

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. LEcH- NER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Wenona, in the county of Warshall and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and Improved Brake-Handle, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a new and improved handle especially adaptedfor use in 1 the operation of a plurality of different mechanisms.

More particularly, the invention relates to a handle adapted to be usedin connection with vehicles for operating the brakes and other mechanismwhich may be used in con nection with the vehicles.

In the drawing the device is illustrated as being employed in connectionwith the roadsmoothing device illustrated and claimed in my application,Serial No. 324,186, filed June 30, 1906.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures, in which I Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a vehicle having my improved device attached thereto; Fig.2 is a side elevation of my improved device showing the same on a largerscale; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device, the vehicle beingshown in section; and Fig. 4 is a detail showing in transverse sectionthe engagement of the handle with the notched bar.

In the drawings there is illustrated a vehicle 10 having aroadsmo'othing device pivotally secured to the endsof the rear axle, andcomprising downwardly-extending arms 11, a cross member 12, a smoothingchain 13, and a cord or wire 14 by which the smoothing device may beraised or lowered. '1 his cord is connected to a pivoted arm 15 andpasses through an eyelet in a standard 16, the front end of the cord orwire being secured to my improved handle 17. The vehicle is providedwith any suitable form of brake 18 adapted to be operated by thelongitudinal movement of the bar 19, the end of which is 'also inoperativeengagement with the handle 17.

The specific object of my invention is to provide means whereby theroadsmoothing device may be raised or lowered at will by the same handleemployed to operate the brakes, and whereby the brakes may be .readilyoperated by the handle whenever desired.

In the specific form of my invention illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, I provide a handle 17 comprising a straight metal bar rigidlysecured to a journal 20 rotatably mounted on the under side of the wagonbody. The cord or wire 14 is secured to the handle intermediate its endsand by the forward or backward movement of the handle the smoothingdevice may be readily raised or lowered. The side of the wagon body isprovided with a curved bar 21 having teeth with which a projection 22 onthe handle may engage to hold the handle in any desired position. Thebrake bar 19 lies in engagement with the side of the handle 17 and isheld in place by a loop 24 longitudinally movable in respect to thehandle and sup ported within bearing blocks 25. The loop 24 is of awidth substantially equal to the thickness of the bar 19 and preventslateral movement of the bar, but by moving the loop longitudinally thebar may be raised or lowered. The handle carries a pin or lug 26,normally engaging with the under side of the bar 19, and the bar isprovided with a recess or notch 27 into which this pin or projection notcause any longitudinal movement of said rod. The loop 24 serves adoublepurpose of holding the bar in engagement with the handle and ofraising or lowering the bar out of engagement with the projection or lug26. In order to effect the latter, I provide a small pivoted member 28adjacent the upper end of the handle 17, and for connecting the lowerend of this handle 28 to the loop 24, I provide a connecting link 29. Bypressing the two handles together, the loop 24 is raised and the lowerportion thereof engages with the under side of the bar 19 and disengagesit from the projection 26 to permit free movement of the road-smoothingdevice without interfering with the brakes.

When it is desired to operate the brakes, the handle 28 is released andthe bar 19 drops down until it rests upon the projection. The handle 17is then moved forward or backward until the notch and projection are inengagement and then further movement of the handle 17 serves to operatethe brakes.

. The handle 17 normally engages with the toothed bar 21 and is heldfrom accidental displacement. In order to move the handle, it isnecessary that it first be sprung laterally out of engagement with thetoothed bar, the material of the handle being sufiiciently resilient topermit of such action. The instant the handle is released, itautomatically engages with the toothed bar and is rigidly held in place.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A device of the class described, comprising a pivoted handle barhaving a projection or pin extending outwardly therefrom, alongitudinally movable bar having one'end normally supported upon saidpin and having a notch ada ted to engage therewith, said bar beingotherwise unattached to said handle, and means carried by the handle forbringing said projection and notch out of operative engagement.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a pivoted handle having aprojection extending outwardly therefrom, a bar normally supported uponsaid projection and having a notch adapted to receive the same, a loopmounted on said handle and inclosing said bar, and means carried-by thehandle for moving the loop to bring the bar out of engagement with theprojection.

3; A device of the class described, comprising a' pivoted handle, a pincarried thereby, a bar adapted to be moved longitudi nally by saidhandle and normally engaging with said pin, a loop carried by the handleand inclosing said bar, means carried by the handle for moving the looplongitudinally to bring the bar out of engagement with the projection,and means connected to said andle intermediate its ends and adapted tobe operated by the handle independently of the bar.

4. device of the class described, comprising a pivoted handle, a baradapted to be moved longitudinally thereby and having one end normallysupported by said handle, the handle and bar being provided with aprojection and a recess, whereby the bar may be moved longitudinally bythe handle, and means carried by said handle for disengaging the'barfrom the handle and permittingsliding engagement of one in respect tothe other.

5. In combination, a vehicle, a roadsmoothing device secured thereto,brakes carried thereby, a handle pivotally mounted on said vehicle,means connecting said smoothing device and said handle, whereby theformer may be operated, a bar having one end operatively connected tothe brakes and the other end in engagement with the handle, meanscarried by said handle for engaging with said bar to move the samelongitudinally, and means carried by the handle for disengaging the barand permitting sliding engagement of the handle with the bar.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK W. LEGHNER.

Witnesses DORA. KLIEBER, ANNA WINTER.

